Month: August 2017

There are two kinds of people in this world – those who love a long haul flight and those who are not sure what on earth they will do for 19 hours, no matter how lovely the time they will have when they get off the plane at the other end. When you’re a dashing and (dare I say it) suave pilot like a certain Nurali Aliyev, it’s all in a glamourous day’s work, but for first time long haul passengers, the prospect of being confined to a seat for that long is a little bit of a new and strange experience. And if you plan ahead, it can actually be quite exciting. Here’s a few pointers to turn your first long haul flight into one of the more interesting journeys you’ve ever taken.

The main thing people think about is whether they might get bored being in one place for so long, but most long haul flights have great entertainment in place for a truly satisfying movie or tv binge. If there isn’t, you can actually download videos and games onto a cheap tablet before your flight to while away the time. If you aren’t a fan of this, there’s always a good book, or you can track the progress of the plane on the interactive map. It may sound nerdy but this is one of the things Nurali Aliyev likes to do if he’s not in the cockpit!

Something you may have heard about on long haul flights is that thing where your feet start to look all puffy like those of that nice lady who serves biscuits at church but is kind of exploding out of her sandals. Flying does have some weird effects, as is to be expected, but this is one that can make you feel a bit less like a glamourous jet-setter and more like a sort of flying manatee. This can be remedied though – invest in some circulation socks and if you are feeling particularly active, take a few walks up and down the aisle once the seat belt sign is off.

A long haul flight will often take place overnight, and this may even happen in some odd time zones. Get ready for 4am croissants … anyway, a lot of folks try to get some sleep, even at these unusual hours, perhaps to get the drop on jet lag or to try to pass the time more quickly. The best way to sleep is to try to transform your space, if you don’t have one of the fancy seats that turn into beds. Recline (make sure you don’t squish the person behind), pack a travel pillow, strap on a sleeping mask and pop in some earplugs (seriously, these help so much). Looking good (obviously) but sleeping well too!